Black Bear BBQ is the go-to for beef brisket, pork belly and southern fried chicken in Sydney’s west. With other locations in Wetherill Park and The Fitzroy Hotel, Black Bear has become something of a temple for barbecue lovers.

If you’ve been searching for a semi-adventurous bite without compromising on flavour, consider checking out this Sydney burger joint. Chebbo’s Burgers is the locally loved smash burger-slinging outpost hidden in the city’s southwest.

Many years ago, a new Asian food hub began to unfold on the third floor of Haymarket’s Market City. One of the highlights of the hub is the sushi burger venture, Gojima. 

Serving high-quality chicken shop meals since 1992, this family-owned chain is best known for its Portuguese flavours and chooks barbecued over natural charcoal fire pits. 

From the moment you open the door, this Bligh Street spot will hurtle you headfirst into a C.S. Lewis-style adventure, taking you from dreary city streets to the resplendent old-world opulence of post-war Paris. 

Rock ‘n’ roll and burgers are the most likely of bedfellows, an age-old combination that runs Bondi’s casual neighbourhood eatery — Bonditony’s. 

Five years after debuting its legendary menu of ‘BRGRS’ at the Macquarie Hotel, Sydney-favourite Pub Life Kitchen closed down, taking some of the best burgers in Sydney with it. 

Hungry? Or need a new pair of sneakers? Solve one or both of these dilemmas at Butter, Sydney’s utterly ridiculous palace of fried chicken, champagne and sneakers.

El Jannah has earned cult status for its Lebanese-style charcoal chicken and finger lickin’-good garlic sauce, but few know of it as a Sydney burger destination. This needs to be corrected. For the El Jannah chicken burgers are all bangers.

Mister Gee’s food truck, founded by Gee Ozgen way back when food trucks weren’t a thing in Sydney, is not only home to the best burger in the west, it’s likely the best burger in Sydney. 

Charcoal Fish is the seafood equivalent of your neighbourhood charcoal chicken shop. Its menu champions the Aquna Murray Cod from Griffith — a sleepy regional town in the NSW’s northwest colloquially known as the food bowl of Australia. 

Rockpool Bar & Grill is glamorous and over the top — making it a fab spot to really treat yourself. Nested in the grandiose surrounds of the City Mutual Building’s art deco interior, dining at this place is an experience, to say the least. 

This glam basement restaurant inspired by old-school New York and London steakhouses may be best known for its steaks, but owners James Bradey and Warren Burns also know how to make a damn good burger.

Ume Burger in both Barangaroo and Darling Square slings some of the best burgers in Sydney every day of the week. You can get your classic American cheeseburger here, but Ume is known for its Japanese street food. 

These guys have mastered the basics of burger making. They mince their own beef, make their own pickles and sauces and source a range of buns from local spots — including gluten-free and vegan buns. 

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to where we can feast on Mary’s burgers. These days, we can find its burger joints in Newtown (the original), Castle Hill, Circular Quay and the city’s Entertainment Quarter.